Friday, January 31, 2014

What is it like to ride an electric bike?

Q. Are they really useful for long distance rides and uphill rides?
Or are they just one of those things that claim they are, but they really aren't?

The reason I'm asking is because I'm thinking of buying one. I have mild cerebral palsy and I weigh around 275lbs. Me and a couple of my family members share a vehicle right now, so I have to ride to work somedays on my bike. It's only 3 miles away, but it is rough on my body because the ride to work is all uphill. Two of the roads I have to take are fairly steep (at least by my standards), but are less steep then all the other roads around, but they wear me out still. It takes me 25-35 min's to get from the house to work (about 20 min's on a really good day when I'm in peak condition), including the stop signs and lights. But most days, I usually end up stopping for about 20-30 seconds at a time about 5-6 times just to rest, before I finally reach my work. And by time I get there, my legs are hurting pretty badly and are spasming up, I'm drenched in sweat. I'm also pretty exhausted which usually lasts through the remainder of the day (unless I drink a full throttle, then I'm geared up for almost anything). Between the excess weight and the cp, biking is killing my legs, so I need an alternative.

I like the idea of the electric bike, but for $500 - $1,000, they seem awfully damn expensive. So before I decide to buy one, I want to know if they're really worth the cost. Do they really work?

I have to wonder, because last year I screwed myself by buying a chinese scooter for $600 because I thought it was a good cheap alternative to the bike. It broke down on me 3 times in 6 months, and cost me more to fix up then the original purchase amount. Finally after the last breakdown, I gave up on it and left it sitting in my garage in pieces. So I'm trying to avoid making a similar mistake with this purchase by not diving head first into it. I need to know more about them so I don't screw myself again.


Answer
electric bike will disappoint you in range and power
particularly since your cost range is low and your wegith [sorry it affects breakdowns and range] is high
a $500 bike might make it 3 miles and back if you also charge it at work
it will start breaking though in a year or less
and the batteries never last as long as you hope
the 3 mile trip is the only thing that is in your favor

but then if you only ride it 100 times in a year, and it;s broken, that;s $5.00 a trip
83 cents a mile, you could buy and maintain a car or decent motorcycle for that

the chinese scooters are notoriously unreliable
though they are powerful
and cheap
maybe what you need is to find a convenient mechanic
oh wait you did that

the electric bike isn;t cheap either really


wle

do i buy motorcycle or electric bike ?




hah


i have a motorcycle before in china, but now some places can not ride motorcycle, do i buy a new motorcycle or electric bike ? I want to ride faster, about 70kph, and riding to work.


Answer
Firstly you need to research an electric bike and find out the range and speed it is claimed capable of. Then take 10mph off the claimed speed and 10 miles from the advertised range to get a realistic range and speed you could expect in normal use.

A small powered motor cycle is economical on fuel so compare the two options to find which is right for you. My idea would be the small motor cycle is the better option.




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Title Post: What is it like to ride an electric bike?
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